Haul of imitation machine guns seized

A cache of imitation weapons was seized by police in Larne on Tuesday evening after a gun was found by a young child in a field.

The PSNI believes that the airguns were being used by youths in the area and abandoned when officers arrived.

Police say that a number of the weapons are gas powered and capable of causing serious injury or damage to property.

They have stressed that airguns should not be used in a public place.

A spokesperson said: “If you are found with one of these weapons in a public place, you also leave yourself open to prosecution under Act 61 of the Firearms (NI) Order.

He added: “It’s fair to say that if a member of the public saw someone walking down the street with one of these weapons they may be quite rightly put in fear. They may only be capable of firing pellets but let me assure you, they look, and feel like the real deal. If police were confronted with a member of the public wielding one of these weapons, it doesn’t bear thinking about the consequences that could potentially come about given the ongoing threat from terrorism.”